


I'll Be Home For Christmas

by heretherebefics



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: holiday fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-07
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-05-05 12:51:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5375903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heretherebefics/pseuds/heretherebefics
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ficathon prompt 17: River gets to visit her parents in the past, and gets to spend time with her adopted brother. Loving!Amy and Rory. For bicrim (tumblr). </p><p>River Song comes for a visit at Christmas time to see her parents and her brother in 1950.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Please Have Snow and Mistletoe

**Author's Note:**

> Story and chapter titles from I'll Be Home for Christmas by Bing Crosby

River stood on the doorstep for a minute brushing snow off her coat before knocking on the door, bundling the coat more firmly around her midsection as she stepped back to wait for an answer.

It opened to reveal a boy no older than four who she barely knew. “Hallo,” he said brightly.

Down the hall, a familiar Scottish voice said, “Anthony, what have we said about opening the door without mum or dad?”

River crouched down and held out her hand to the boy. “I’m River. It’s very nice to meet you.”

The boy grinned and shook her hand before darting back down the hall, leaving the door ajar. “Mummy, she’s nice. She said her name is River.”

River laughed as her mother’s head shot around the corner before she dashed to the door, pulling River into a hug and moving her inside all at once. “Stay right there,” Amy said before rushing up the stairs. River could just make out “Oi, stupid face, we have a guest.”

Amy came back and looked River up and down before opening a closet, pulling out a bow, and quickly tying it in a section of her hair. 

When Rory descended the flight of stairs, he looked to where his wife was standing and broke into a wide smile, pulling his daughter into a tight hug. “Sorry it took me a mo, was wrapping Christmas gifts.”

River gestured at the bow on her head and laughed. “Mum wrapped me.”

Rory untied the ribbon and after a once over, took her coat. Amy sent him off to make tea and ushered River to the living room, guiding her to the love seat and taking the chair beside it.

“You haven’t visited since you dropped off the manuscript. Had your old mum worrying,” Amy said, reaching out to take River’s hand, which she gave a light squeeze.

River told the best version of the truth she thought she was able without causing more worry: that she had needed to make some adjustments and additions to a vortex manipulator and calculate a window to avoid a paradox.

From there, River asked about Anthony, wanting to know more about her brother. As Amy her more, Rory came back into the room, carrying a tea tray, Anthony on his heels carrying a small plate of cookies, which he brought straight to River.

River gave him her brightest smile and took two cookies as her father poured the tea, adding the amount of milk and sugar she always requested before handing it to her.

River watched as her father poured tea into a smaller cup for Anthony and smiled as she watched the Last Centurion, the man who took on a cyber legion and survived the Dalek Asylum helping a small boy put too much sugar in his tea. Glancing to her mother watching them was enough to make her eyes glisten as she took a sip of tea and blinked rapidly.

Anthony glanced over at River and smiled, sidling closer. “Mummy, can I sit with River?”

Amy nodded and River patted the spot beside her and offered to hold his cup while he climbed up.

He gave her his cup and slid up before he happily accepted it back and slurped his first sip.

River thought it might be hard, spending time with them after so longer apart, but it felt just like sitting with her parents in the back garden. They told her stories about New York, Anthony, projects Amy was working and Rory’s work in medicine. She told them travel stories and dig stories, happily telling Anthony more about whatever he asked about.

In what seemed like no time, Amy told Anthony that it was time for a bath and bedtime.

“Good night River,” he said with a sweet smile.

“Good night Anthony,” she replied.

She listened as they went up back the hall to the bathroom, Anthony asking for a bedtime story after his bath. River closed her eyes and briefly imagined what it would have been like.

She heard Rory rise from his chair and settle beside her and pulled her into a hug. “I think about it too. I’m sorry.”

River settled into his side. “Don’t be. You did what you could and I think I got in enough trouble as Mels to keep you both on your toes.” She paused, wrestling with how to phrase the rest of her thought. “I told the Doctor once not to change one line and I still wouldn’t him, or anyone else, to do it. I like who I am, despite everything I lost to get here.”

Rory nodded and kissed her temple. “I waited outside a box for 2000 years. I wouldn’t change a day.”

They sat in silence for a while, finishing their now cold tea, giggles and splashing sounds drifting down occasionally. “Does he know he has a sister,” she asked softly, blinking back tears again.

“Of course,” he said, squeezing her shoulders. “He knows about our adventures, even Manhattan, a bit about the Doctor, the archaeology. We just call you Melody.”

She smiled up at him. “Does he know that I’m older than you?”

Rory nodded. “Your mum’s mentioned your hair too, so I think he might suspect. We have a spare room if you’d like to stay the night and find out tomorrow. If you’d like to stay a few days… it is almost Christmas.”

She stretched up and kissed his cheek. “I had considered finding a hotel. Now I won’t have to.”

“We’d be thrilled to have you,” he said before he stood. “I’ll be back down. It’s time for Anthony’s good night kiss.”

“I’ll pop out and get my bag then.” She rose after he left, rubbing the small of her back before slipping out the front to the car she had kept in New York for visits ever since she had started the Angel Detective Agency. She looked at the blue Buick, coated in snow now, and smiled before opening the back doors and taking out her case she always kept in the back.

When she went back in, Rory took the bag and showed her to the guest room where Amy was changing the sheets. “You really didn’t have to fuss mum.”

“I like to fuss,” Amy said firmly. “I don’t get to fuss enough over you, so let me.”

River nodded and walked over, giving her mother a peck on the cheek. “Yes mum.”

Rory took her out into the hall again and showed her where the bathroom was and the trick to work the taps in the tub. 

Once Amy was done adjusting, both gave her a good night kiss and headed up to their own room.

River undressed, rolling her shoulders before rubbing at her back again. Before she slipped into her pyjamas, she sent a message to the psychic paper telling her husband she had arrived safe and felt fine. 

She spent a few moments rubbing lotion into her skin before dressing and slipping under the sheets. She checked the paper and smiled at his request to send his love to her parents. She fell asleep with the paper held close to her chest before the second message arrived.

When she read it in the morning, she wiped the tears away before Amy came to tell her breakfast was ready.


	2. Where the Love Light Gleams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> River spends time with her family and celebrates Christmas with a special gift for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from I'll be Home for Christmas. Happy Rivermas everyone!

After breakfast was finished and Rory had headed off to work, Amy bundled up Anthony and hustled River out the door and into the car, guiding it through the streets until she was content with their location. 

River dutifully followed her mother down Fifth Avenue as she popped in and out of stores, pointing out various things to River that she would look lovely in, or that Rory had expressed interest in. 

While her mother ducked into another store, River slipped into the oldest toy store in the country, buying far too many things for Anthony, including Silly Putty, and several things she knew would amuse her husband. As soon as she found a quiet spot, she stowed it all away in her shoulder bag so her brother wouldn’t see a thing.

After lunch and a dozen more stores, with many more presents purchased, River sank gratefully onto the couch in her parent’s living room after dropping her bag in the guest room.

Later, River began chopping vegetables for dinner while Amy put Anthony down for his afternoon nap. By the time she came back downstairs, River already had most of the prep work completed and the roast in the oven. 

Together they washed and dried the breakfast dishes. Amy made a pot of tea and brought gifts and paper to the living room and tossed cushions on the floor so they could both sit.

River unpacked her back of most of the gifts, spreading Anthony’s gifts on the floor to decide what to wrap first.

“River, you really didn’t have to,” Amy started.

“Mum, if I hadn’t wanted to I wouldn’t,” River said with a grin. “I want to catch up on a couple years’ worth of Christmas and birthday gifts. If I’m not going to spend the money from the agency on family, who am I going to spend it on? And don’t you dare tell me I don’t have to. I know. I want to Mum. I don’t always get to be here for Christmas, so I want to make it a good one.”

Amy rubbed her daughter’s knee. “Alright. I just didn’t want you to feel like you had to. You, and don’t tell me it wasn’t, set us up very comfortably.”

“That I did, but most of my money just sits in the bank here.” River leaned over slowly and kissed her mother’s cheek. “If you’d like, I could return yours.”

Amy glared at her. “Don’t you dare. It’s not nice to tease your mum.”  
River laughed, her fingers deftly folding paper and applying tape.

From time to time one of the other got up and checked the food and they wrapped until Anthony stirred upstairs, piling presents under the tree.

They laughed and talked over dinner, Amy and Rory helping Anthony cut his food into smaller pieces and River refusing to eat some of her veg for the sake of it, which made Anthony giggle.

Rory send them all out of the room so he could clear the table and tidy up.

River sat down on the floor again with a cushion, playing with Anthony, building block towers and ‘racing’ cars around the rug. 

After a while, Anthony took to combing his fingers through River’s hair before sticking his tongue out as he concentrated on separating a section of hair into three pieces as he had watched his mother do.

Amy mouthed to River that she didn’t have to let him, but River just settled in, allowing him to work through a little at a time, dropping pieces from time to time.

Amy slipped from the room and came back with her Brownie camera and began taking pictures of her children, River winking at her mother as Anthony scowled at pieces of hair, River laughing and Anthony’s fingers barely containing the pieces of hair. The final picture on the roll of film was River’s wide grin and Anthony’s proud smile, pointing out his lopsided braid.

They played on the rug for hours, River rising ever once in a while to stretch or use the loo. Amy grinned as she watched her children, eventually shifting to braid the rest of River’s hair, laughing as the curls sprung away. 

Eventually Amy declared bedtime for Anthony. He gave River a smacking kiss on the cheek as he hugged her before his mother took him up, Rory following after for a story and kiss.

River settled back onto the couch, smiling softly as she listened to the giggles upstairs, occasionally catching a fun voice.

Amy and Rory drifted back down and settled onto the loveseat, Amy curling her legs up as she snuggled into Rory’s side.

They talked about Rory’s day at work before Amy made him promise to take a half day by the end of the week so they could spend an afternoon out together.

Amy and River told Rory about their shopping trip, trading off the telling, or filling in details the other forgot, all the while trying to weedle out what the other had bought for them.

River smiled, looking between her parents as her mother snuggled into her father’s side, changing over to trying to get him to slip and tell her what her present was. She took a bracing breath, inhaling slowly through her nose and out through her mouth. 

“The Doctor and I have been thinking a bit, and last evening he was wondering what you think about Jessica Melody or Brian Augustus? I told him Melody seems a little selfish, but he said he likes it. I suggested Coira instead.”

Amy’s stared at her for a moment and River could nearly watch the thoughts running through her brain, slowly filtering this new information into something that made sense. Her father looked at her wide eyed, almost had it, she was sure.

“You’re pregnant?!” Amy squealed, jumping up and then pulling River into a hug. “Oh my god, you are pregnant! We’re going to be grandparents, Rory!”  
Rory grinned at his girls, wondering briefly what the child would look like. “When do we get to meet Jessica or Brian?” 

River slipped up her top, revealing the bump the clothes were designed to cloak. “Not so long now, but I wanted to visit.

Rory rose, coming over and taking her wrist to check her pulse. “Should you be traveling with the,” he gestured with his free wrist. “While you’re expecting?”

“Father dear, do you think he would let me out of his sight otherwise?” River chuckled, patting her father’s cheek. “Not much longer, but long enough for Christmas.”

She looked back to Amy and noticed her eyes glistening. Once her father was satisfied, she took her mother’s trembling hand and placed it on her stomach. “I had to see my mum.”

Amy nodded, groping for River’s hand and squeezing. “You’re a good girl Melody, and I think Jessica Melody would be a wonderful name.” She looked down at her hand and smiled. “How’s he taking it?”

“Wonderfully,” River said, resting her hand over her mother’s. “He’s ahh…wonderfully.”

“Rory, go get the camera,” Amy said, not taking her eyes off her hand. “Take another picture of our daughter.”

In those pictures, he caught the surprise and delight on Amy’s face the first time she felt her grandchild move. He clicked away, capturing the way River, his daughter who had shot countless Silence, light up when she talked about the nursery with her head pillowed in her mother’s lap. The last photos he took that evening were of a dozing River, Amy running her fingers through her daughter’s hair, and Amy looking at him, smiling as she said, “We’re going to be grandparents.”

~*~*~

Anthony was thrilled to learn about the baby, snuggling with River after breakfast and asking all sorts of questions about the baby and if it would be able to change its face too, ohhing and ahhing at the sonogram picture River had brought out of her bag, handing one to her mother.

Rory piled them all into his car in the afternoon, taking them to see the Rockefeller Center tree and to watch the ice skaters, eventually ushering his children and wife back into the car, in River’s case under doctor’s orders. 

He drove by his office, pointing it out to River and making her laugh with stories about his patients, stories that continued into dinner, leaving them all happy and full as they returned home, Anthony carried up the front steps but waking as soon as they were inside, begging River to tell him a bedtime story tonight.

An hour later, when she finished telling him how they had escaped the Byzantium and how very brave their mother was, he gave her a kiss. “You’re going to be a great mum,” he said as he settled back.

River swore later that she might have imagine it, because when she looked at him, he was already fast asleep.

~*~*~

Christmas came, blanketed in white, as everyone tore into their presents. Paper and ribbon littered the living room, as did toys and clothes of all shapes and sizes.

As River was handing Amy the last of her gifts, the tag bearing a neat ‘from us’ in River’s handwriting, there was a knock at the door.

Anthony was up like a shot, opening the door a crack and saying “Hello mister” before River could stand up from the floor.

She was behind her brother was her mother began to chide again, but River quickly drowned her out with a shriek. “You made it!”

When Amy got to the door, River was kissing a man in a velvet jacket, her fingers tangled in his grey hair. “River, who…”

River tapped her finger against her lips and shook her head before giving him a little kiss again.

Amy’s eyes lit up and she hugged him, kissing his cheek. “Come inside. You’re getting my daughter cold.”

He gave her a wide smile and kissed River’s nose before picking up Anthony, settling him on his hip. “You must be Anthony.”

The small boy nodded. “Want to see my presents?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

When Amy did open the box hours later, after watching the man with the very serious eyebrows spend hours playing with all of Anthony’s new toys and helping to set up an impress toy train track, she found a device that looked oddly familiar.

“It’s yours,” River said with a smile. “You left it on the TARDIS. I modified it.”

Amy looked at the familiar red back and flipped it over, looking at the screen. “Not much cell reception in 1950.”

“But there are radio waves,” Eyebrows said. “And she’s very clever.”

“I, we wanted to be able to send you pictures,” River said. She took a breath and swallowed hard, glancing from the man beside her to her mother. “Especially since I won’t be able to visit soon.”

“And we can send things back, yeah?”

Eyebrows nodded and touched his wife’s stomach. “How else will you tell me I look dashing with your grandchild?”

“Charging?” she asked, opening the slide.

“Never needs it,” River said with a grin. “So I expect lots of pictures of Anthony.”

“When she’s born, you’ll send your mum a picture a day,” Amy said forcefully.

River laughed and shifted, leaning more fully against the man beside her. “You keep saying she. We don’t know. I want to be surprised.”

“It’s got to be,” Amy said, pointing at his eyebrows. “Can’t have a baby with those.”

He tried to look offended but couldn’t quite manage. Well, except for the eyebrows.

~*~*~

At the faint buzz from her pocket, Amy pulled out the phone and called Rory over, opening the message to see her daughter and son-in-law in the nursery, River holding a teddy bear wearing a shirt that said ‘Baby Song’ and the Doctor looking at her, absolutely in love.

Other photos came too, of the growing bump, of baby clothes and new details in the nursery, new sonograms. 

Finally came the photo that made Amy and Rory both tear up. Their daughter, holding her daughter. Amy wiped away the tears and laughed at the next photo, nearly identical except with the addition of the Doctor’s hand, giving the camera a thumbs up.


	3. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> River has more time through the years with her parents and Anthony, along with the rest of her family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pure Christmas fluff. Thanks for reading and Merry Rivermas!

Jessica made a beeline for her uncle as soon as the TARDIS doors would open, dodging other children in the park on her way to the pavilion loaded with all types of food.

Anthony swung her around, laughing with her as her curls danced in the breeze. The last time he saw her, she was just learning to walk and he was just learning to drive. She had looked like River then, but now there was no denying who her mother was.

He sat her down as River and the Doctor got to the pavilion, River beaming at him and the Doctor at least looking somewhat happy to see him. 

“Hello River,” he greeted her warmly, kissing both her cheeks before holding her at arm’s length. “You don’t look a day older than when I first met you.”

River laughed and gave him a tight hug. “Great genetics.” 

He settled his arm around her shoulders and grinned at the Doctor. “Mum will be thrilled to hear it. Why don’t you say it again?”

River gasped and turned to find her mother and father sitting at a table. She practically vaulted it to hug them, tears in her eyes. “I didn’t know.”

“You didn’t think we’d miss this, did you?” Rory said, his hair as grey as her husband’s. 

Amy squeezed her hand and kissed her cheek. “Not for the world.”

“Permission to hug?” The Doctor said with a wide grin, pulling both her parents into his arms without waiting for Rory’s answer. 

“Hallo nan,” came Jessie’s voice as little arms wrapped around Amy’s waist before her father hoisted her up to give Rory a kiss. “Hallo granddad. Mummy, is it alright if I play in the sandbox with Tabby?”

River looked to where Anthony’s daughter waited at the edge of the sandbox, bouncing on her toes before she nodded.

“How’s the practice dad?”

“Handed most of it over to a younger man now, but I’m still seeing some of my old patients,” Rory said with a chuckle. “Spending time with Tabby and your mother’s been good for me.”

River looked over, watching her niece and daughter playing together until she felt the Doctor’s hand on her stomach. “Have you and Sarah considered having another?”

“We’ve talked. Mum said she needs another baby to spoil,” Anthony said, kissing the top of Amy’s head. “You?”  
The Doctor grinned and rubbed his hand in a slow circle. “We’ve more than talked.”

Whenever River had a bad day of it, she remembered the hugs from her whole family and her father clapping the Doctor on the back before her mother insisted she try some potato salad.

After hours of eating and laughing with her family and crouching the sandbox, seeing all of Jessie and Tabby’s ‘finds’, it was time to go home.

“You’d better be sending pictures young lady,” Amy said, eyes twinkling.

“Of course,” River said, ruffling Jessie’s hair. “Always.”

Anthony made her swear that they would get together again, sooner this time. She and the Doctor agreed as he picked up Jessie, who’s eyes had begun to flutter shut.

She kissed her father goodbye, feeling a little melancholy; she knew exactly how much time they had left and it wasn’t nearly enough. “Still going to name him Brian.”

“You can’t know it’s a him yet,” Rory said, hugging her a little longer than usual.

“No,” River said, smiling. “But I feel it.”

Rory grinned and patted her cheek. “I expect to meet him then. I’m sure dad would love it too.”

“He loved Jessie,” she said, leaning into his hand. “He’s teaching her about plants. Got her a trowel for Christmas and she loved it.”

Rory may have blinked back a few tears, but neither of them mentioned it.

Months later, Rory held Brian for the first time. He didn’t try to hold back the tears then. He was once again a cool Roman, crying over a baby. 

A photo of the moment sat on River’s vanity for over a decade, alongside one of Brian Sr. helping Jessie with her first pruning. Rory’s photo was eventually replaced by a photo of him with both grandchildren, one graduating secondary school, and the other graduating with a bachelor’s in archeology, much to her father’s chagrin, made possible through some elaborate time travel calculations before it too was replaced with a pair of yellowing black and white shots. 

The first was of Amy, hand on River’s stomach, the Christmas they learned they would be grandparents. The other was of her with her father and husband the same Christmas, a shot she didn’t know Amy had taken until Anthony found it; her head was resting on her father’s shoulder and her hand was cupped in her husband’s on his lap, all three of them laughing at a joke long forgotten. 

She thought about those days as she tucked in her own grandchildren, telling them about a magical Christmas in a world gone white, and a king and queen and their little prince visited again by their daughter who lived in a faraway kingdom with one of the most powerful wizards in the universe. 

When they begged for another story, she told them how the queen had once saved the wizard, and the entire universe, with a story and a book.

As she tucked them all in, now fast asleep, she smiled down at the oldest boy’s curls, the girl’s reddish hair and her twin’s messy brown locks, falling into his eyes. Her husband said they were all stories in the end, and she was making sure her parents had the best ones.


End file.
